Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1887-05-28

rs COulpOScQ cuGlIcly VI 1tdudu uOUlcIQ6Q. IQcrc
are one hundred Of them, and they all rank as OFF,
GERS Twenty five are on duty at time. They
attend the pope as body guard. On occasions Of
great ceremony all Of the hundred may turn out
appearance. When In undress uniform they wear
blue coats Of the swallOwtail pattern. Their full
dress uniform coats are req, With gold trimmings.
trousers, very tight. with hightOp boots OF patent
leather, and make very elegant and soldierly ap-
pearance. Their horses are all white. These COR
street and his chair at st. Peters.
'The Swiss Guards guard the avenues to the
The regiment, though called SWISS is made up OF
Italians, French, Germans, and men OF other ma
ttonalities. The Swiss Guard is very ancient In
stttutton and, suppose, was originally recruited
in Switzerland.
THE D1sBANDED ARMY.
'When II was Papal zouave, besides the Guardia
Nobin and the Swiss Guard there were q regiment
of Swiss rihemen, two battalions of zouaves num-
bering 1900 men. two batteries OF artillery, 600
mounted gems darmes and a regiment of Italian
carabineers, besides two regiments OF the foreign
legion OF the French army, sent there by Napo-
Prussian war: This foreign legion was oficered
by France and supported by France and per-
formed no police, yidette or scout duty. It was
maintained there by Napoleon as a menace to
Italy.
WITH TRUNK HOSE AND HALBERDs.
''These Swiss Guards wore an old-fashioned
Swiss uniform, the national costume of old Swift
erland. The shoes were black, and cut low, the
stockings, reaching to the thigh, were striped
lengthwiSe, with black and yellow stripes; the
short breeches, or trunks, were similarly striped
the tunic also was black and yellow in stripes
The helmet was OF silver, and the Guardsman
wore gauntlets, and was armed with a short
sword with black hilt, and halberd, or axe, on
the end OF long pole.
''The Swiss rifemen were as their name i'm
plies, Swiss. They were all men OF small stature
and were uniformed like the light infantry OF the
French line, with dark blue tunic, light blue
green, and regulation French Infantry caps They
carried rifles with sword bayonets.
THE zOUAvEs.
"The Papal zouaves to which belonged, were
recruited in Ireland in $780, and were composed
then entirely Of Irishmen. They went to Rome
there but the organization lost its distinctive Irish
character and became c0smopolitan-men OF every
nationality being found in the ranks, from the
black African To the Caucasian American re-
member one from Alabama, one from Missouri,
and another from Louisiana. AS the Irtshmen
were gradually eliminated by the expiration Of
their terms, or by death or casualties, the ranks
were filled up, largely by gentlemen OF means, and
1t became the corps delite, being much respected.
who did not wear decorations. To be a member
Of the organization gave one entree to society.
The uniform OF the private or enlisted man was OF
light gray, faced with orange. The fatigue cap
was OF the French pattern; his dress cap low fur
Cap like that worn In the Russian army. He car
ried an Enfield rifle with sword bayonet. The
black, and high-top patent-leather boots.
"The Italian carabneers had uniform consist
ing OF dark blue coat Of the pigeon-tai pattern
and red pants with dark blue stripe and were
armed with rifles and sword bayUnetS. The gems
d armes like the French, wore a dark blue dress
coat wide pants oflight blue with dark blue stripe
drawn tight over the shoe, aigrettes OF white and
chapeau. The facings were white. They were
armed with sabers and carbineS. The artillery
uniform consisted OF an artillery jacket, and pants
Of dark blue. The officers uniform had gold fac
1ngs. The commander-in-ch1ef was nOmina!ly the
minister OF war. Each regiment had a colonel
The zOuaves, formed in two battalions, had col
Onel and lieutenant-cOlOnel
The colonel OF the ZOuaveS was the actual COM
manderln-chief in the field. Col. de Charette, Of
family. AT the breaking out OF the Franco-Prus-
sion war all the foreign legion and those OF the
zouaves Of French nationality or prOclivitieS en-
tered the French army, under the command OF
Col. de Charette and his Lieut.. Col ballet, and
they covered themselves with glory.
Just after the disbandiIg or the PiedmOntese
army, the papal states were secured by armed
bodies OF men who called themselves brigands. 1t
was against these that our troops operated.
HOW ZoUAvEs WERE AssAssINATED.
'The life OF a zouave was always In peril, even
in the city Of Rome" he went on. "They were
marked by the revolut1onists, disliked because
they were foreigners and feared because they
could not be corrupted. The revolutiOnsts were
afraid to KIN soldier Of the French legion for
they knew they would invite the vengeance of
France. They always said they could buy the
Italian troops but the only thing to do to Zouave
WAS 10 XIII Hill. HOW ulu Cney 90 IL? WE'LL q
Zouave would be walking along the street. Some
one would tap hiEl on The shoulder and say, "a
light please or ask the time OF day, and as the
uDlucky Zouave turned his head StflletO would
be plunged over his shoulder down near his collar
bone into his heart. These stilletos had blades
half OF glass, and the glass would break OF and
main in the mans heart He would be killed in
stantly without making an Outcry. The loose,
open collar, exposing all the throat, worn by the
ZOuaveS was a sort Of invitation to an attack Of
this kind. These street aSSaSSinatiOnS were very
frequent We used to have funeral nearly every
day. Finally, orders were given that IL any man
approached us to ask for light or the time OF day
to draw our sword bayonets, and stand him on be-
fore answering him.
JOHN H. sURRATT AS ZOUAvE.
"John II. Surratt who was charged with COM
plicity in the conspiracy to aSSassinate President
Lincoln, when he escaped from the United States
went to Rome and became q Papal zouave He
was member Of the company to which belonged
the second company OF the second battalion
When 1t was decided by the papal authorities to
preparations were made for that purpose and
meanwhile he was tncarcerated IN the castle of St
Angelo. the tomb OF Hadr1an. During the night
he lowered over the wall by two friends of his
Capt. BOiSjOlli, French officer OF the ZOuaves
and First Sergeant Thornton, OF Toronto. They
tied their long scarfs together and let Surratt
down with them. He escaped to Alexandria and
was there turned over to the United States au-
thorittes by the Turkish government"